The Battle of Devil's Backbone with Tom Wing

February 13, 2019
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

The Fort Smith Historical Society presents speaker Tom Wing, assistant professor of History at UAFS and director of the university-owned Drennen-Scott Historic Site. The public is invited. Wing will present a program on this local Civil War battle and its impact on Fort Smith. This city and the state were Confederate territory from the spring of 1861 until federal troops reoccupied Fort Smith in September 1863. Wing will discuss the Battle of Honey Springs and how it paved the way for the reoccupation of Fort Smith and a rearguard action at Devil's Backbone. While the summer of 1863 saw turning points of the war at battles for Vicksburg and Gettysburg, action at Honey Springs and Devil's Backbone changed the course of the war for Fort Smith. Wing, a former Park Ranger at the Fort Smith National Historic Site, took his love of history and education to the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith where for the 15 years he has influenced numerous students with his passion for history and interpretation. He has also been a certified historic weapons safety officer for the National Park Service and a certified wild land firefighter.